Heart Out [Michael Clifford]

2. Then

CHAPTER TWO:

I had known him since year eight. We were now in year ten, and I had only ever spoken to him once, two years ago when I asked to use his pencil in math.

He was a quiet kid. Always sat right at the back in every class, doodling in his notebook instead of taking notes. He wasn't doing great in school, but he passed every class just like the rest of us - just barely and with fingers crossed.

He walked the hallways with his head bowed, as if to avoid all eye contact. He usually sat alone during lunch, but occasionally sat with Calum Hood, who was in the same year as us. Calum was the closest thing that he had to a friend.

I had always wondered about him, but my curiosity and interest in him spiked once I saw his drawing of The Nightmare Before Christmas's Jack Skelington.

It was really good.

* * *

It was a regular Monday morning. The school bell rang, and people rushed to their respective classes. I had first period math, but was being scolded by Mr O'Grady in his office, for having missed assembly that morning, and for being in incorrect school uniform. I mumbled my insincere apology to the principal and waited to be dismissed.

Halfway through math was when I finally walked into the class. Mr Barnard stopped speaking to give me his death glare and ask why I was late again. I handed him the letter from Mr O'Grady and found myself a seat. A girl had taken my usual spot, so I plonked myself in the empty seat right next to Michael.

Michael Clifford.

The shy kid with the really good Jack Skelington drawing.

"You're principal is an ass." I said to him. He only glanced at me for a split second before looking back down at his book. "Do you talk?" I asked, and he nodded, but didn't say a word. "I'm going to stick with you don't talk, which is fine. I talk enough for about six people when I'm in the mood." He still said nothing. Only nodded, and avoided all possible eye contact with me.

"Miss Martins." I heard Mr Barnard, our math teacher, say. I looked up at him, but couldn't care less about what he had to say. "Seeing as you were late for my class, and seem to be distracting the people around you, care to solve this equation for us?" He pointed to the board behind him, where he had scribbled a trigonometric equation in his slapstick handwriting.

"I'd love to do so, sir, but I honestly haven't been paying any attention to your class." I said.

"You are going to fail your final exam if you carry on like this."

"But I've been passing all these years, sir, without really paying attention in class or doing much studying." I shrugged.

"You will get to a point where that will stop working for you." He warned, then turned back to his precious lesson.

* * *

It was lunch time, and I had abandoned my group of friends once I had spotted Michael sitting alone once again. I sat right next to him on the only bench that was in the shade. He barely looked up, but I knew that he had seen me.

"So, what's your story, Michael?" I asked.

"I talk." He said.

"That's great to hear. I thought that I would have to do all the talking."

"How do you know my name?" He asked. His voice was so smooth and quiet, it was almost as if I hadn't really heard him, and was only imagining this.

"I pay attention to people." I answered. He nodded. He stayed silent. He still refused to make any eye contact. "My name's Alex, by the way."

"I know who you are."

"Have you ever wondered what it would be like to jump out of a moving plane?" I asked.

"No." He responded.

"You probably have, so I'm going to mentally dismiss that answer."

"Okay."

"You should try it. It's great. The wind blowing through your hair, and everything."

"You've done it before?" He wondered.

"No."

"Then how would you know what it would feel like?"

"I looked at pictures." I said, and he nodded, even though my answer didn't really make sense. He accepted it anyway. "You really should talk more." I said after a long period of silence.

"I don't really like people."

"Fair enough." I said. "But I've decided that you're kind of cool. You have to like me now. I'm not going anywhere." I heard him chuckle to himself, before he responded.

"You're okay."

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Author's Note

I'm kind of excited for this story, as I always am everytime I start a new story.

Please vote and comment and have a nice day.

Happy reading
xxx McRee Black